Improvement in braided hoop-skirt springs and machines for same



' 3Sheets-Sheet 1. A. BENJAMIN. v BRAIDED HOOP-SKIRT SPRINGS ANDMACHINES FOR SAME.

No. 191,641. Patented June 5,1877.

INVENTOR 2, AxORNEY N. PETERS. PHOTWLITHOGRAPNER, WASHINGYON, D C

3 She ets-She et 2. A. BENJAMIN.

BRAIDED HOOP-SKIRTSPRI NGS AND MACHINES FOR SAME.

A4 N 191,641, Patented June 5,1877.

WITNESSES INVENTOR ATTORN EY ".PETERS, FHOTDUTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. DC.

a Sheets-Sheet s.

A. BENJAMIN. BRAIDED HOOP-SKIRT SPRINGS AND MACHINES FOR SAME.

Patented June 5,1877.

vwwwww \l W lTN ESS ES INVENTOR OD ATTORN EY' PETERS. PNmLITHOGRAFHER,WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED BENJAMIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN BRAIDED HOOP-SKIRT SPRINGS AND MACHINES FOR SAME.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 191,641, dated June 5,1877; application filed March 29, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ALFRED BENJAMIN, of New York, in the county of NewYork and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Braided Hoop-Skirt Springs and Machine for same and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit pertains to make and use it,'referonce being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relatesto an improvement in braided hoop-skirt springs andmachine for braiding the same.

The object of this invention is, first, to provide a braided hoop-skirtspring with flexible or yielding edge or edges, whereby the edges of thespring may be sewed directly to the material to which it is to beattached; second, to provide a braiding-machine with proper attachmentsto automatically feed a cord to one or both edges of the spring, saidfeeding mechanism to be arranged, relatively to the threads, so that thethreads will pass around the outer surface of the cords and between thelatter and the edges of the spring, and thus effectually secure thecords in place; and to this end my invention consists, first, In thecombination with a braiding-machine of one or more guides consisting oftubes having their upper ends bent on approximately the same angle ofthe several threads leading from the bobbins to the spring, the upperend of the tubes extending nearly to a line passing through the centerof the table of the machine, and arranged relatively to the spools ofthe machine in such. a manner that the.

threads will pass around the cords and between the cords and edges ofthe spring, thereby operating to secure the cord or cords to the edge oredges of the spring in an effectual manner; second, in a braidedhoopskirt spring having one or both of its edges provided with a cordsecured thereto by the threads passing around the outer surface of thecord and between the cord and edge of the spring, whereby the spring isadapted to be sewed through its edge. or edges to any desired materialor article and secured without the aid of clasps or spangles.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of abraiding-machine provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan view of'the same, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the spring, showing thecourse taken by the threads in securing the cord to the edges of thespring. Fig. 4 represents the completed hoop-skirt spring.

A represents an ordinary braiding-machine employed in braiding flat andround wire hoop-skirt springs. The machine represented in the drawingsis furnished with sixteen spools, but the number of spools may beincreased or diminished, at pleasure, and still accomplish the desiredresult. The table a is provided with zigzag grooves, within which aresituated the guides at of the spindles b, which latter serve to supportthe sp vols. Guides a are situated within the notches o of the carriersB, the latter being rotated by gears B. Tension-weight guides arecombined with the base-plates c to which the spindles b are secured,said guides carrying the usual tension-weights D and check-weights d,the latter being provided with an arm, (1,

which engages with the ratchet-teeth e of spools E. Threads F are takenfrom the spools and passed through thread-eye f in guides down beneaththe lower edge of the tension-weights D and upwardly through the eyes f,in guides, and from thence to the flat or round spring to be braided.The unbraided portion of spring G passes down through an opening in thecenter of table a, and is wound on a reel, not shown in the drawings.The upper and braided portion 9 of the spring passes through frictionfeed-rolls H, which latter operate in a well-known manner toautomatically feed the spring upwardly to be braided. 7

0n opposite sides of the table a are secured the tubular standards It,to which the tubular feed tubes h are removably attached by means ofset-screws h". Feed-tubes h extend upwardly in a vertical direction toabout the height of the guides, where they are curved to an angle ofabout forty-five degrees, and extend to within a short distance of theedges of the flat spring to be braided. The upper ends of the tubes hare made with smooth outer surfaces and as small as posssible, and

still allow snfficient space within the same for the free travel of thecords.

Spools I, having cords J, of any desired size, wound thereon, are placedon a suitable hearing, 11, attached to the legs j or any other portionof the machine below the table a. (lords J extend beneath the machine tothe side opposite the spools, where they are passed through tension-barsK, which latter may be provided with any desired means for adjustment.It is evident that any suitable tensionregulating device may be used inlieu of the bars K. The cords then pass from bars K backwardly beneaththe machine and up through the tubular standards h into and through thefeed-tubes h, and by means of which they are delivered to the edges ofthe spring.

The tubular standards, having the feed-tubes h secured thereto, arecentrally located between the cnrved grooves within which thespool-guides travel as the spools are rotated in reverse directionsaround the table, and thus one-half the number of spools travel aroundthe outer side of the feed-tube and the other half travel around theinner side of of the same. The course taken by the threads of thedifferent spools is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. One-half the numberof threads employed pass over the feed-tubes, and consequently pass overor around the cords, and thus serve to bind the cord securely to thespring. The other threads pass beneath the feed-tubes and between thecord and edge of the spring, thereby operating not only to bind thecords to the spring, but to locate and confine the cords to the edge oredges of the spring and prevent any displacement of the cords after theoperation of braiding the spring has beeh completed. The feed-tubesperform an important office in causing the braid to be formed in closeproximity to the spring and thereby form an even and regular braidedsurface around the cord as it is delivered to the edge of the spring.

The spring, after being braided in the manner above set forth, isstarched and ironed in the ordinary manner.

Heretofore the springs often become disengaged from the skirt, owing tothe accidental detachment of the clasps or spangles, which latter arecontinually catching on other portions of a ladys wearing apparel, andthus occasion much trouble to the wearer, and render it a matter ofconsiderable difiiculty and annoyance to again secure the springs inplace.

Springs braided in accordance with my invention possess many advantagesover the ordinary spring, the principal and main excellence of this formof construction being that the spring may be secured to the fabric of ahoop skirt by sewing through the corded edges, and this is accomplishedby machinesewing. This fact alone constitutes a great advance in thisclass of manufactures, as all clasps and spangles which are now employedfor securing the springs to the skirts are dispensed with.

I contemplate the manufacture of corsetsprings in the manner abovedescribed, the process differing only in matters of detail from the oneset forth.

I am aware that braiding-machines have been constructed with feed-tubesextending to about the height of the bobbins and without an angularupper extension, and such construction 1 do not claim; but

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a braidingmachine of one or more feed-tubeslocated between the reversely -traveling spools, said tubes extendingupwardly in a vertical direction to about the height of the spindles,and then projecting inwardly on an angle, substantially the same as thatassumed by the threads, nearly to the spring to be braided,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a braidcovered metallic springprovided with a corded edge or edges of sufficient width to allow of thebraid-covered spring being secured by sewing through such corded edge oredges, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand andseal this 19th day of March, 1877.

ALFRED BENJAMIN. [L. s.]

Witnesses N ELSON CRAWFORD, O. A. GODLEY.

